Johnson’s ‘unambiguous’ breach over Daily Mail column shows need for reform, Tory peer warns
Boris Johnson’s “unambiguous rule breach” over his Daily Mail column shows the urgent need to reform the approach to post-ministerial jobs, the government has been warned.
Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) chairman Lord Eric Pickles wrote to deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden with his concerns today.
The Conservative peer said the former prime minister’s case is a “further illustration of how out of date” the rules are, saying there must be sanctions for breaches and reform.
The Ministerial Code requires those who have left the government in the last two years to apply for advice on taking up a new appointment or role – in a bid to avoid suspicion that posts might be a reward for past favours and to stop ex-ministers exploiting their contacts.
But the watchdog said Johnson only submitted his Acoba application 30 minutes before his new job was announced in a pre-recorded video – despite being “familiar” with the rules.
“This is a clear and unambiguous breach of the government’s rules and requirements of the Ministerial Code,” Lord Pickles wrote.
‘Out of date’
“Johnson’s case is a further illustration of how out of date the government’s business rules are.
“They were designed to offer guidance when ‘good chaps’ could be relied on to observe the letter and the spirit of the rules.
“If it ever existed, that time has long passed and the contemporary world has outgrown the rules.”
Lord Pickles said there is a risk of “further scandal” if ministers do not introduce a “modern framework” for dealing with appointments, including sanctions for non-compliance.
A Cabinet Office spokesman said: “We are committed to improving the business appointment rules, but it is important to get this right.
“We are continuing to consider methods to strengthen the system and encourage compliance with the rules.”
The department is understood to be considering how to respond to Acoba – which cannot itself impose sanctions – over its findings on Johnson.
By Sam Blewett, PA Deputy Political Editor